9/11 Families Petition to Bar Mayor Mamdani From 25th Anniversary Ground Zero Ceremony

Key Facts

Published: July 26, 2026 Location: New York Source: New York Post, Change.org petition, New York City Mayor’s Office, FDNY

• More than 1,100 people, including approximately 300 relatives of 9/11 victims, reportedly signed a petition seeking to keep Mayor Zohran Mamdani from the 25th anniversary Ground Zero ceremony.
• Petition organizers cite Mamdani’s political associations and his past handling of extremist rhetoric, while Mamdani has publicly condemned the Sept. 11 attacks and praised first responders.
• The official ceremony will include the reading of 2,983 victims’ names and moments of silence marking the attacks, collapses and crash of Flight 93.

Relatives of victims say the solemn commemoration should remain focused on remembrance, unity and an unequivocal rejection of terrorism

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief

NEW YORK CITY (Worthy News) – A growing group of relatives of those murdered in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks is urging organizers to prevent New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani from attending the 25th anniversary commemoration at Ground Zero.

The Change.org petition, launched July 9, had gathered more than 1,100 signatures by the weekend, including approximately 300 relatives of 9/11 victims, organizers told the New York Post. The number was continuing to rise as the controversy gained national attention.

Giovanni Galante, whose 29-year-old wife, Grace Catherine Galante, was killed in the World Trade Center attacks, is among those leading the campaign.

“This day is sacred to us,” Galante told the Post, describing Mamdani as an “unwelcome guest” whose participation would be deeply painful to some families.

The petition asks the National September 11 Memorial & Museum and city leaders to reconsider including Mamdani in the Sept. 11 ceremony, citing what organizers describe as troubling political associations and past positions concerning terrorism, Israel and the aftermath of the attacks.

Among the petition’s objections is Mamdani’s past support for political candidates whose comments about 9/11 drew sharp condemnation. It also points to his association with left-wing commentator Hasan Piker, who previously said America “deserved” the attacks before later acknowledging that his language was inappropriate.

Mamdani eventually called Piker’s remark “reprehensible” during an October 2025 mayoral debate, after previously facing criticism for declining to directly condemn it.

The families’ petition argues that the anniversary must remain centered on the victims rather than become another stage for political controversy.

“The 25th anniversary should remain centered on remembrance, unity, and an unambiguous rejection of the violence and extremism that defined that day,” the petition states.

Mamdani Plans to Attend

Mamdani’s office has indicated that the mayor still intends to participate in the ceremony. The 9/11 Memorial & Museum has traditionally welcomed elected officials across the political spectrum while keeping the official program focused on victims and their families.

Every sitting New York mayor since the attacks has attended the annual commemoration.

Mamdani has also publicly described Sept. 11 as one of the darkest days in New York City’s history. During a May gathering at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, he honored the victims and praised the first responders who ran toward danger as the towers burned.

“The loss is still fresh. The grief never fades,” Mamdani said, adding that the city continues to remember the heroism of those who answered the call.

Those remarks, however, have not satisfied petition organizers, who maintain that the anniversary belongs first to the families and should be protected from figures they believe have failed to consistently confront extremist rhetoric.

A Sacred National Anniversary

The official 25th anniversary ceremony will be held Sept. 11 on the Memorial plaza in Lower Manhattan.

Family members will read aloud the names of the 2,983 people killed in the Sept. 11 attacks and the February 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center. Moments of silence will mark the times the hijacked aircraft struck the Twin Towers and Pentagon, when both towers collapsed and when United Airlines Flight 93 crashed in Pennsylvania.

Nearly a quarter-century later, the wounds of that morning remain deeply personal for thousands of families. Their appeal is a reminder that Ground Zero is not merely a civic venue or political platform. It is sacred ground — a place marked by extraordinary loss, sacrifice and courage.

Whether the Memorial ultimately alters its plans remains uncertain. But the families behind the petition insist their objective is not partisan advantage. They say it is to preserve the dignity of a day when America remembers innocent lives taken by Islamist terrorists and honors the first responders who gave everything to save others.

Latest Worthy News